Film

October 08, 2007

Let no one suggest the State Bar of Texas is not au courant: The bar has launched a YouTube contest, seeking original videos that dramatize the promise of justice for all, according to Texas Lawyer.

Bar President Gib Walton proclaims, "We are the first bar association in the United States — in the world — to have a YouTube contest." And a spokeswoman for the American Bar Association says that, as far as the ABA knows, this is true. "New media, new ways to do things — that's all I can say," comments Debbie Weixl.

There’s a cash prize of $2,500 for the 18-and-over crowd. Rules and the entry form are posted online here. Sadly, the contest is open only to Texans and lawyers licensed in the state.

But even if you lack that critical Texan connection, don’t suppress your inner Martin Scorsese just yet. Says Walton, "I believe every bar association is going to want to do one of these."

Will the real Michael Clayton please stand up? The WSJ Law Blog has discovered the “true” identity of the lawyer upon whom George Clooney based his character in the new legal thriller “Michael Clayton.” See Slate’s review of the movie.

And the real Michael Clayton lives right here in Washington. Though instead of being “the fixer” portrayed on the big screen, he actually heads Morgan, Lewis & Bockius’ global trademark and copyright practice. Artistic license, no doubt.

Money quote from the Law Blog’s interview with Clayton: “Well I wonder how he would feel if I made a movie about a movie star named George Clooney and the trailers blared ... ‘Michael Clayton is George Clooney!’”

August 24, 2007

Live in the D.C. area and need a legal reason to laze on the couch this weekend? Want to practice your TiVo skills before the fall TV season starts up next month? On Sunday, WETA is showing “Fair Fight in the Marketplace,” a half-hour documentary on the role of antitrust law.

Besides a brief history, the program features three case studies involving Archer Daniels Midland, Mylan Pharmaceuticals, and Microsoft. Robert Pitofsky, former FTC chair, calls the documentary “clear,” “balanced,” and “entertaining.”

“Fair Fight” is the brainchild of the American Antitrust Institute. The program and related educational materials were paid for, in part, by a grant from a cy pres fund established in the 2002 settlement of a California consumer class action over vitamins price-fixing.

For those of you outside the Beltway, sorry. AAI reports that “Fair Fight” has already been shown on 75 PBS stations around the country.

March 30, 2007

Though it may seem as though Legal Times only has eyes for the spring (or stumble) in Alberto Gonzales’ step and that dreamy Chief Justice John Roberts, we’ve been known to spot some actual US Weekly style celebs. Yesterday afternoon two intrepid LT reporters found themselves in the midst of a movie set on 16th St. right in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church. And lo and behold, who should be filming but two stars extraordinaire, Nicolas Cage and Jon Voight, After a bit more sleuthing, we discovered that Cage and Voight were working on a sequel to that action-adventure masterpiece (hyperbole, anyone?) National Treasure. According to our sources, the two Hollywood actors invaded the Library of Congress as well where no doubt they didn’t re-shelve their books, making an absolute mockery of the Dewey Decimal system. Though we never learned why anyone would make a part deux to a film that was so ridiculous in the first place, we did discover that the new movie title is National Treasure: Book of Secrets. Perhaps the director found a complete copy of the Justice Department's infamous e-mails.

February 26, 2007

As anyone who's seen "The Departed" and spent much time in Boston knows, the film parallels the saga of James "Whitey" Bulger and the tangled relationship of the Irish Mob in Boston with the local FBI office. Bulger, of course, sits on the FBI's 10 most wanted (just below Osama bin Laden). In the film, the character Frank Costello (played by Jack Nicholson), is loosely based on Bulger.

Bulger, along with cohort Stephen "The Rifleman" Flemmi, were both key members of the Somerville, Ma.-based Winter Hill Gang. In the mid-1970s, both became informants for the FBI, helping the bureau drive the Italian Mafia out of Boston. But as part of the deal, Bulger's FBI handlers also tipped him off to sting operations targeting him and Flemmi. Special Agent John Connolly, who grew up down the street from Bulger in South Boston, would later be charged with leaking information to Bulger that led to three killings.

But the biggest tip to Bulger may have come in 1995, after he and Flemmi were secretly indicted on racketeering and extortion charges. Bulger disappeared, and the FBI has apparently lost his trail. For more information on the history and search for Bulger, check out the Boston Globe's extensive coverage of the scandal here.

A few other tidbits worth noting: Bulger's younger brother William served as president of the Massachusetts State Senate and later president of the University of Massachusetts.

This past weekend, Bulger's other brother John, 68, made news for filing suit against the state of Massachusetts, seeking to reclaim a $65,000 annual pension that was revoked after he admitted he'd lied to grand juries in the investigation of his brother's whereabouts. The move has infuriated relatives of Whitey's alleged victims (hat tip: the Associated Press, via the Boston Herald).

Alleged Bulger sitings abound, but perhaps the most tantalizing rumor came in November when the Boston Herald reported that Bulger was supposedly spotted leaving a screening of "The Departed" in San Diego.